New head of UN deep-sea mining regulator vows to restore neutrality

Promises of “accountability and transparency” in deep-sea mining saw nations vote on Friday for a Brazilian scientist as head of an obscure U.N. organization that regulates the world’s seabed.

Mounting opposition to the International Seabed Authority approving exploitation of the ocean’s minerals by corporations, before its environmental regulations were finalized, fueled the mood for change.

The rare vote saw Brazil’s candidate, a former oceanographer, Leticia Carvalho defeat incumbent British lawyer Michael Lodge, who has been criticized for being aligned to seabed mining companies. Lodge wasn’t present when the result was announced. 

“The winning margin reflects the appetite for change,” Carvalho told RFA affiliate BenarNews. “I see that transparency and accountability, broader participation, more focus on additional science, bridging knowledge gaps are the priority areas.” 

Lodge had support from only 34 nations compared with 79 for Carvahlo, who also campaigned on restoring neutrality to the secretary-general position. She is currently a senior official at the U.N. Environment Program and a former oil industry regulator in Brazil.

The change of leadership at the Kingston-based ISA is a possible setback to efforts to quickly finalize regulations for seabed mining, which would pave the way for exploitation to begin in the areas under its jurisdiction. Some countries, meanwhile, are exploring the possibility of nodule mining in their territorial waters, which are outside of ISA oversight. 

Mining of the golf ball-sized metallic nodules that litter swathes of the sea bed is touted as a source of rare earths and minerals needed for green technologies, such as electric vehicles, as the world reduces reliance on fossil fuels.

Skeptics say such minerals are already abundant on land and warn that mining the sea bed could cause irreparable damage to an environment that is still poorly understood by science.

Lodge was nominated for a third term by Kiribati, which is one of three Pacific island nations working with Nasdaq-listed The Metals Company on plans to exploit seabed minerals. More than 30 nations were disqualified from voting in the secret ballot as their financial contributions to the ISA are in arrears. 

The hundreds of delegates and other attendees at the ISA assembly lined up to hug Carvalho following her election including Gerard Barron, chief executive of The Metals Company. 

After the vote the company tweeted, “we appreciate her proactive engagement with us and share her belief that adopting regulations, not a moratorium, is the best way to fulfill the ISA’s mandate,” adding they still hope to become “the first commercial operator in this promising industry.” 

Greenpeace International campaigner Louisa Casson said she hopes Carvalho will work with governments “to change the ISA’s course to serve the public interest, as it has been driven by the narrow corporate interests of the deep sea mining industry for far too long.”

This week’s annual assembly of the ISA also witnessed more nations joining a call for a moratorium on mining until there is greater scientific and environmental understanding of its likely consequences. 

Tuvalu's position takes to 10 the members of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum now opposed to any imminent start to deep-sea mining.

Nations such as Vanuatu and Chile also succeeded in forcing a general debate on establishing an environmental policy at the ISA.

Pelenatita Petelo Kara, a Tongan activist who campaigns against deep-sea mining, said she is hopeful new leadership will mean “more time for science to confirm new developments” such as alternative minerals for green technologies as well as a more thorough dialogue on the proposed mining rules.

Deep-sea mineral extraction has been particularly contentious in the Pacific, where some economically lagging island nations see it as a possible financial windfall, but many other island states are strongly opposed.

The island nation of Nauru in June 2021 notified the seabed authority of its intention to begin mining, which triggered the clock for the first time on a two-year period for the authority’s member nations to finalize regulations.

Its president David Adeang told the assembly earlier this week that its mining application currently being prepared in conjunction with The Metals Company will allow the ISA to make “an informed decision based on real scientific data and not emotion and conjecture.”

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.